Hanging ornamental plants are really attractive nesting sites for many types of birds. Unfortunately, a bird nest in a plant can lead to insect issues, an inability to water and problems with aggressive, defensive avian parents once the eggs have been laid.
A lot of people love to watch birds nest, but you should be careful allowing birds to nest in an area where you and/or your children walk. Bird droppings can not only be unattractive, but also dangerous because of disease. Build bird nesting area away from your home where you can give the birds a safe home without coming in contact with their droppings.
Stop birds from nesting in your hanging flower baskets with a few simple, inexpensive preventive ways.
First and foremost, check with your local wildlife office. It might be an offence to destroy a nest while it is occupied.
It is best to not hang the plants before the birds get into their nesting mood. Meanwhile find out what kind of birds they are then learn about their nesting habits and offer them the perfect nesting place. Once they are settled you can hang your plants and enjoy them without birds. You might need to do that again next year, but the year after that the birds should know the better nesting site and use it instead of your flowers.
As for scaring them away from your home, shiny and moving objects tend to do the job. Try foil, pinwheels, or wind chimes.
You can install some rubber snakes in the basket. You can coil the snakes beneath the flowers and leaves of the plants so that they are not visible to humans but will discourage birds from investigating the basket as a future home.
Try placing a few mothballs in the basket. The mothballs will not hurt the plants (though do not place more than four in any one basket) but their odor will discourage birds from invading the basket. Or instead of mothballs you can soak a cotton ball with ammonia and set it where you don't want birds to nest.
Building a bamboo barricade may also be helpful. Bamboo skewers with pieces of thread strung between them prevent birds from landing in your basket. If you use green or white thread, the structure should not detract from the visual appeal of your flowers.
Another option is to stick toothpicks or plastic fork tines up in the soil in the basket as soon as you hang it.
You can also frighten birds away with Mylar tape. Shiny garden spinners are a popular alternative because they provide a more coherent look. Place strips of Mylar tape (or the spinners) on and around the hanging baskets during nesting season. Once the birds have built elsewhere, you can remove the tape.
An outdoor cat is often very effective also.
If you like the birds in your baskets, but you find yourself unable to water your plants, then try placing the top half of a two-liter soda bottle upside down in the planter before putting in soil and plants. The birds will build in the hollow, and you can water your plant without fear of drowning the babies.
